


To Cure All Ills

by LadyKnightOfHollyrose



Series: Merlin!AU [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Merlin Fusion, Fantasy, Friendship, Gen, Implied Relationships, M/M, Pre-Slash, Swords & Sorcery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-16
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2018-02-09 04:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1969137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightOfHollyrose/pseuds/LadyKnightOfHollyrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto glanced up at the soft click of the door shutting. He gave Haru a wan smile, though he left his hands where they were; one holding onto Rin’s hand, the other smoothing Rin’s hair back from his face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Cure All Ills

**Author's Note:**

> For [this drabble prompt meme](http://hollyroses-vault.tumblr.com/post/84950428556/send-me-a-number-and-two-characters-get-a-drabble) for the prompt 'Keeping a Secret', requested by an anon. It's a snippet of my Merlin!AU that I mentioned aaaages ago on my tumblr, though some of the roles have been switched around since I first thought of it.

Makoto glanced up at the soft click of the door shutting. He gave Haru a wan smile, though he left his hands where they were; one holding onto Rin’s hand, the other smoothing Rin’s hair back from his face.

Prince Haruka took the scene in; his lips pressed together in a taut line, his eyes shadowed with concern.

"How is he?"

Makoto turned his eyes to where Rin lay prone, his breathing light and even. “Nitori has administered an antidote which seems to have neutralized the majority of the poison… He will need to  _rest_  in order to recover,” he explained, raising a brow significantly in Haru’s direction, “but he’ll be fine.”

Haru huffed at the inconvenience of having no manservant for a few days (as though he hadn’t managed for years before the Queen Regent had bestowed the dubious honour upon Rin), but some of the tension left his shoulders. He gave a grateful nod, sinking down into the seat beside Makoto.

They sat together in silence, Makoto rubbing his thumb in soothing circles over Rin’s knuckles as he felt Haru’s attention shift from Rin to himself.

"You’re hiding something." The thin thread of uncertainty woven into Haru’s tone made Makoto look up in surprise. His oldest friend stared right back, blue eyes narrowing. "You’re hiding something _from me_.”

Haru’s brows had furrowed, the corner of his lip turning down in a familiar frown.

Makoto didn’t tell little white lies; he covered things up with small smiles, shrugging things off and hid so thoroughly that even Haru, who arguably knew him best, struggled to unearth what he buried.

He _hated_ it when Makoto hid things from him, mostly because he was so _good_ at it.

"Haru…" Makoto’s voice was as gentle as ever when he finally responded, and strangely enough, it didn’t seem to be a deflection. "It’s not _my_ secret to tell.”

And it was as though something clicked into place, because when Haruka’s brows drew abruptly together Makoto just gave a tiny, rueful smile.

"You’re hiding something for _Rin_.”

Somehow that felt even worse. Because of course, even with how annoying Rin could be when he was trying to get a reaction out of Haru, he had become a part of their group; had become a close friend and confidant (and possibly more in Makoto’s case, though he hadn’t been certain either had realised until today). Neither Makoto _nor_ Rin had ever seemed to let his station as Prince have any impact on their friendship before.

But why else would either of them find a need to hide something from him now?

“ _Haru_ ,” Makoto implored, having apparently guessed what Haru was thinking as he so often seemed to. Haru had never managed to decide whether the skill was a blessing or a curse, to be honest. “Think about it; I know you’ve guessed at this all ready and even so, he hasn’t said anything to me.” Makoto worried at his lip, concern now warring with frustration. “I came upon my knowledge by chance, and to speak of it would be…dangerous.”

Haruka’s head jerked up at that.

While it was true, more often than not, that he took little interest in matters that had a direct effect on himself and his people; if people thought him to be _oblivious_ , he had simply never felt the need to correct the assumption.

In the same way that placid Makoto could seem so unassuming for a knight of his stature, Haruka was always fully aware of his surroundings.

It had not slipped his notice that, on occasion, Rin seemed to be able to accomplish the impossible; to explain away miracles as lucky coincidences. He hadn’t let himself dwell on the thought, often dismissing the notion in favour of checking in with Makoto or prodding at Rin.

Because if their suspicions were true, just _mentioning_ the possibility of magic would endanger all three of them.

Still. Now that Makoto had virtually confirmed it, they could keep an eye open for trouble; stay aware and put into place measures for the eventuality of Rin’s secret coming out.

Haru would protect his own.

Though speaking of… “I suppose we owe him our lives many times over.”

Relief broke out over Makoto’s face. “I guess it’s our turn to return the favour.”

Haru gave a short nod, looking over at Rin once more before climbing to his feet with a sigh. “If Rin has to rest to recover, someone will have to distract Nagisa.” He was not looking forward to the task in the slightest; he should hopefully be able to foist the blond off onto Rei after reassuring them both that their friend would be fine.

He paused at the door, turning back to watch as Makoto attempted to tuck the blanket that had started to slip off the bed back around Rin, hovering uncertainly for a moment when Rin’s nose twitched.

Haru rolled his eyes. “I hope you didn’t think the way you look at him is any sort of secret, by the way.”

If Makoto’s despairing wail of _"Haru!"_ caused an amused smirk to crawl across the prince’s face as it followed him from the room, at least there was no one here to see it.


End file.
